Closed Tales of the Sea Nymph

[Minoas Stratis]

The nightmare was always the same. Paralyzed, naked, cold.

An unending stream of darkness swept over him, striking his defenses, destroying his body in a torrent of unyielding, rapacious evil. It was choking him even as he fought it will all of his power, its dark intentions barely slowed by his will. It laughed at his efforts. Invisible hands seized him, wrapped around his neck, trying to asphyxiate him. A rough voice whispered.

Cut off a limb, and two more shall take its place.

Eyes snapped open in the dimly lit cabin. A sudden change in the motion of the sailboat startled Minoas out of his abysmal nightmare. His body was bathed in a cold sweat. The sheets were twisted around his limbs, as he must have been thrashing in his sleep. His heart was still pounding against his chest as he left his bed, stumbling to the bathroom to wash his face with cold water. He looked at his reflection in the mirror. Beneath his grey eyes, dark circles had beginning to form, a token of his sleepless nights. He stepped back into his room, snapping his fingers, flames danced on the few candles he had to reveal the total mess going on his desk. Rolls of parchments were disoderly piled, a huge world map was unfolded with notes and symbols scribbled on it and an empty firewhiskey bottle were the remains of his long, sleepless night. It must have been late afternoon, judging from the light filtered through the portholes' blinds and he had a ton of chores to do. He dressed in a plain white t-shirt and a pair of grey sweatpants while the remnants of his nightmare still clung to his mind, haunting him. Lastly, he picked up his wand from the desk and climbed the stairs to the deck.

Any residue of his nightmare vanished from his mind with the first caress of the sun on his face. He walked across the deck, feeling the pleasant warmth of the wooden floor underneath his bare feet. A gentle breeze made the halyard shackles clank against the sailboat's masts with a soothing chime as Minoas reached the stern of the three-master, to get a nice view of the Obsidian Harbor and the cobbled street lined with shops stretching along the shoreline. Minoas had anchored the sailboat at the Obsidian Harbor two days ago but he hadn't set a foot on the harbor yet. He had named the vessel the Sea Nymph, as it was inscribed on the flat transom stern facing the street, inspired by the maiden figurehead at the bow.

The sun was bright and Minoas squinted as he skimmed the shops. A grin crept onto his lips as fond memories flooded back. It had been something more than ten years since the last time he had been there. Not much seemed to have changed. The sound of merchants’ hawking and craftsmen closing up their shops, were indicators of the end to a busy market day. Above the noises, evergreens coated the cove’s steep hillsides, their tips soaring higher. Minoas closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Why he was there after so many years away? There was virtually nothing for him in New Zealand. He had a second chance and start his life over but he had no idea what to do with all this freedom he suddenly had. He leaned against the gunwale with his gaze lost somewhere in the distance while thinking of his student years at Hogwarts and all the loving moments he had at this harbor in the past.

 

[Briar Rowan-Cullen]

It had been a long week at the ministry. things were starting to calm down at work with the werewolf attack but Briar was waiting for the news to go public. she was surprised that the prophet hadn't published the story yet. maybe someone higher up than her didn't want it out. not that that was the only thing going on. a break out of Krups into a muggle pet shop had kept her busy for a while trying to cover up firstly why the dogs had two tails and why they were aggressively attacking anyone who came near them. thankfully she and one of her colleagues had convinced the staff that they were trained to handle dogs and they could take them somewhere where they couldn't harm anyone to train them. of course, the fact that the dogs calmed right down when she approached as a witch probably helped. especially a witch that was more dog than the muggles running the shop needed to know.
It was late in the afternoon and she had finished work for the day. she was planning on meeting Dee and Ivy on the harbour and spending the weekend on the boat. not that she was ever a huge fan of boats but she was getting batter and it would be a good weekend to get away from everything before the piles of paperwork she had to do on Monday. she sighed as she wandered the street a cool breeze causing her to absentmindedly pull her jacket a little tighter. the air smelled like the coming of autumn even though the past few days had been warm she could feel the change coming. she hoped that it didn't mean a storm on the sea. she took a seat on a bench and looked out at the boats lined up to see if the luna. was there. she couldn't see it yet. after many years of working at the ministry and catching up with dee from the harbour, she had become familiar with the vessels floating in the harbour. however today there was a different one floating there a large sailboat called the Sea Nymph. she watched it wondering where it had come from and where it was going. as she watched she saw a man walk along the jetty and onto the boat pausing as he leaned against the side and seemed lost in thought. she watched the mean for a few moments something about his mannerisms seemed oddly familiar to her. she stood up and walked along the jetty towards the boat. the man looked like her younger brother but it couldn't be. last she had heard he had died in a fire. but it clearly wasn't a ghost? a relative maybe. "Hello" she called as she got nearer hoping to get the mans attention, a chat while she waited for her husband would never go amiss. As she grew closer she recognised other features of the man. he was obviously older than when she had last seen him. and more alive than she had last heard but there was no mistaking the similarities. "Min? Is that you" she asked. when she was close enough that he would hear her

 

[Minoas Stratis]

Reminisching of certain events back at Hogwarts as a student, Minoas realized that he always had been flirting with life-threatening situations. Unconsciously, a broad smile stretched on his features as he recounted that time at the forbidden forest as a first year, when he had fallen in a pit and was saved by a fifth year, only to face later together a swarm of acromantulas. He hadn't forgotten that particular fifth year, despite the intense life he had been leading, there were many times that he was wondering how Briar Rowan was faring. Or more precisely, his sister as he was considering her more as a family. She always got his back, she taught him how to fly and play Quidditch, she was always there for him and he knew she would still have been if he had let her.

When the fiendfyre lashed out and consumed the Stratis' manor, claiming over twenty lives, Minoas was the only one who managed to get to the emergency portkey and escaped. Survivor's guilt had consumed him ever since and had taken over a new cause. To hunt down those responsible for his family's extermination and bring justice. All his dreams were cast aside. He became a mercenary, undertaking not so moral errands for wealthy wizards and witches in order to make ends meet, at the same time collecting information to find out who was responsible for his family's demise. During such a venturous journey with many people wanting him dead, he had decided to cut out of his life the last few people he cared about, literally staging his death. Believing that the people that were after him could harm Briar and her family, he considered he had did the right think despite losing his last encouragement.

Everything was over now and he could start again. Minoas wasn't sure though if he should appear again in Briar's life. He felt guilty for letting his sister believe he was gone and he wasn't sure how she would react if he appeared in front of her one day. Fate seemed to be plotting to make things easier for him. A very familiar voice snapped him off his long daydream. His grey eyes spotted the woman at the jetty and he froze on the spot not sure exactly how to react. A moment passed with only the seagulls' cries high in the salty breeze. He would have recognized her face no matter how many years might have passed.

"You look like you've seen a ghost." He jested on the spur of this unprecedented moment.
"It's me. In the flesh." A smile so genuinely sweet with just the right touch of embarassment cracked on his lips. A smile he hadn't have on his face for years and an unexpected comfort rushing through him. He flicked his wand, still wearing that smile, and the boarding ladder dropped to the jetty. He invited her onboard the Sea Nymph, ready to receive a much deserving punch or something.

 

[Briar Rowan-Cullen]

Time almost stood still for a moment as minoas looked at him. the silver-grey eyes unmissable. it was only the cry of the seagulls overhead that proved that the world was really still moving. how long had it been since she had last seen him, ten years? twelve? She remembered seeing him when willow was small, and remembered it wasn't long after linden had been born that she had heard of his death. of course he had been away at school studying and then trying to track down his dad. She had had all intents of naming minoas lin's godfather. not that she was religious or knew what one meant but it was something that was apparently done. and as Madlyn was willows minaos was going to be lindons but he had died before she had had the chance to ask him. or even to tell him that she had had a son.
she couldn't help but smile a little as minoas said she looked like she had seen a ghost. "no. I see them regularly enough. you aren't vapory enough for that. besides if you were a ghost you would look ten years younger" she said. not even thinking of what she was saying. as she took the boarding ladder and started to climb. his family had been killed and if it really was him he had survived the fire. then she had a thought. what if the fire was a coverup of some kind. she reached the top and stood on the ship suddenly a little a doubt came nagging into her mind. what if this wasn't min but someone else? he had been tracking down dark wizards what if they had tracked him down first. "Okay if it is you in the flesh tell me something no one else knows she said fishing around for something random. asking where they first met would be easy. asking what his punishment had been after that meeting would have been good but she couldn't remember. some kind of being forced to stay in the house. when she had a thought. "Okay when posters went up around the school one January what spell did you cast on them" she said. the posters in question were fairly well known but his spell on them was not one that would be guessed easily.

 

[Minoas Stratis]

It was surreal to see his sister up close after such a long time. He was five years younger but at 6.3 feet tall and bearded, he looked like her big brother rather than the vice versa. The bouncy wavy hair might have been tamed a bit but her intelligent, full of liveliness eyes were unchanged. "Good point." He chuckled at her conclusion. Briar could have been talking with just a projection of him if he had been careful as he used to be. He couldn't remember if he had revealed to his sister one of his own invented spells which created corporeal, spectre clones of the caster. This particular spell of his was the reason he was alive before her.

The punch or the scolding that he expected never came. Instead, Briar went on to test if he was really him which made Minoas grin. He wouldn't expect less from his sister. His smile broadened in an instant as he listened to her well-picked security question. He remembered that day. The castle was swarmed with hideous posters unveiling Briar's lycanthropy to the whole school. He was just a second year but he did his best to mitigate the whole situation by trying to destroy the posters with the few spells he had in his arsenal.
"I think that many people that day were wondering what were doing those furry patches on the walls of the castle." His smile transformed again, this time into a devious one. "Now that I think of it I am impressed on how long I managed to keep those fur-growing spells on the posters to hide what was on them." He mused and stroke his chin.

Minoas had no doubt that the woman before him was his childhood's partner in crime but he found entertaining the security-questions like it was some kind of quiz. "Hold on!" He raised a hand to stop her from coming closer, pretending that he was suspicious as well. "Which spell I used in excess the first time that we met, to deal with the swarm of acromantulas?" He shot his own security-question, referring to that night he got lost at the Forbidden Forest when she came to his aid. She had basically saved his life. If she hadn't showed up, he would have remained at the bottom of that pit until the acromantulas were going to find him.

 

[Briar Rowan-Cullen]

briar smiled as minoas answered her question. as her thoughts turned to that day in January in her sixth year, his second, she smiled. it had been a hard day but not necessarily a bad one. she had had suddenly become the forefront of gossip at the school. a lot of people hating or fearing her. but a lot of people had supported her, her housemates. and it had finally been the tipping point she had needed to make up with Madlyn after they hadn't spoken for half a year both of them reacting to the loss Jackson in different ways making it harder for them to connect.
at minoas question, to her, she thought. that was a tough one. she remembered the meeting well. but she had been too focused on what she had been doing to pay much attention to what spells he was casting. "that is a trick question. you were a first-year stuck in a pit. you didn't deal with the acromantula you were lucky I was there with a broomstick to save both of our asses, but the first spell you cast was to make sparks, green ones I think" she said. that has been a stressful flight though the forbidden forest with both of them on her broom trying not to be attacked by hungry spiders. truth be told she was surprised that they had both survived unharmed. even today if they had to handle acromantular with the department it took a small task force and a lot of planning. to make sure no one was injured.
she leaned against the side of the boat trying to forget where she was and pretend to be a lot more comfortable on the water. grateful for the practice, she had had although this ship was a lot different than her husbands fishing boat. It had been so long but her brother was one of those people that it seemed like no time had passed. she wished he had contacted her sone something just to let her know he was alive. she had missed him and grieved for him and his family as she had known his brothers and cousins too. "So final question now that you know that I am me and you are you. why the f***K didn't you tell me you were still alive." she said a hint of anger and accusation to her tone. she had been so grateful that dee had been in a good place when she had had lin as it had been rough enough for her with a newborn and a five-year-old receiving the news of his death had not made things any easier. she tried to remember if minoas had known about lin, he certainly didn't know about ivy.

 

[Minoas Stratis]

It was a trick question indeed. He couldn't even remember how many different spells he had attempted to cast, the majority of them without any effect since they were too complex for his then skills. Certainly, if he hadn't shot the green sparks in the air, he wouldn't been found alive that night. Minoas was grateful not for Briar finding him but also that his father had taught him that spell in case of emergency. His gaze darkened a bit as his father's voice echoed in his head from many years ago, a few days before attending Hogwarts.

Aways be prudent, try and stay safe. When things look bleak, remember to cast a streak of green.

It was remarkable to think how such small or seemingly insignificant moments in his life, had brought him to where he was now. He snapped from his thoughts as quickly as he was dragged in them and smirked as he remembered how the night had concluded. "Poor Professor Kingsley ... I don't know if she was more mad that we were found lurking around the forbidden forest or for all the mud we brought into her office." He chuckled, recalling that he was completely covered in mud and dirty when they were taken to her office.

Despite her finally showing a much expected indignation, Minoas knew deep inside that she had missed him as much as he had missed her. He really wanted a comforting hug from her but at that point, he was afraid that she might hex him. "That's a simple question to ask but the answer is very much complex." He answered, unsure from where to start. "Fancy a butterbeer? Like the old, good times at Brighstone?" He referred to the weekends that as Hogwarts' students they could visit Brighstone village for a cold butterbeer at The Three Broomsticks. "I hope you do have some spare time. I know you've been busy with the ministry...and with three children." He said with a sly wink. She might didn't know he was alive but he did managed get news about her every now and then.

 

[Briar Rowan-Cullen]

Briar smiled as monoas pondered what would have upset their head of house more. "Probably catching us. the mud could have been cleaned in a couple of charms." she said. thankfully it was that east to clean the mud, not that she minded dirt. it was good. but with her and dee and linden and willow around and the dogs all bringing in muddy footprints she was glad she didnt have to use muggle methods of cleaning.
as minoas said that her question had been simple to ask but hard to answer she was not supprised. and smiled as he suggested that they have a butterbeer while he explained. "sounds good. do you ahve any htere, i need to keep an eye out for dee" she said she didn't fancy sitting in a pub. fresh air was always something she appreciated. and the sea breeze was always fresh. "I did get off work a little early. so i have some time. assuming that there is plenty of fish around" she said. if it was a good fishing day dee was often a little later whereas a bad day he was usually at the harbour early. at least that was on days where they were meeting here. "hang on three children. If you know about Ivy you have certainly been doing your homework" she said. wondering how he had known about her. she wasn't a secret but she was young, not even a year old, and she hadn't thought she was that interesting that her personal life would make it to someone who was, for all intents and purposes, dead. then she smiled and ruffled minoas's hair in a way that willow often did to linden although the fact that min was taller than her made it a bit more awkward. "who would have thought that the wild child would end up at the ministry of all places." she said. she really had been the wild one at school but the thing that had almost brought her back to society most had been the same thing that in so many cases pulled people away from it.

 

[Minoas Stratis]

Glad to hear that Briar could stay around for a while and after receiving a hair-ruffling to which he responded with a soft pat on her shoulder. "I'm not surprised. Places like the Ministry need people like you to make a change." He said, proud of her and beckoned her in his way to a simple coffee table at the deck. It was surrounded by a couple of hanging, hammock chairs, facing the harbor and the shops.
"I do have. Be right back. Make yourself at home...or boat." He said letting her to settle down in one of the hammock chairs while he hurried downstairs to fetch the butterbeers.

Down at his pantry of food supplies, he looked for the bottles of butterbeer he had stored from his previous replenishment. He grabbed two bottles and looked for some spinach bites he had made last night to treat her. Curiously enough, although he believed he had a bunch of them left, he couldn't find any where he thought he had stored them. Perplexed, he climbed back up to the deck with the two butterbeers.

Minoas cast a wandless, non-verbal freezing spell while holding the bottles. a thin layer of ice covered the glass, cooling the interior. He handed one to Briar before taking a seat at the unoccupied hammock chair next to her.
"I am sorry, I thought I had some savory treats from last night but I guess I am sleep walking and rummaging my food supplies." He joked although still puzzled over this.
"Welcome to the Sea Nymph." He toasted and clinked his bottle with Briar's, welcoming her officially to his newest acquisition and new home.

As he took a good mouthful of the cool brew, he realized he finally had to give some explanation. His jaw firmed and he skimmed the harbor town before them, searching for the right words.
"I don't know what answer to give. I wasn't planning to stay alive for long I guess. My whole venture seemed more like a death wish" He began, genuinely considering back then that he wasn't going to survive with all those people going after him. "No one should have known I was alive. You have no idea what kind of people I had to track down and if they knew about our connection, you and your family would have been in danger." He added while started peeling unconsciously his bottle's label.

"I couldn't allow anything bad happen to the last alive people I cared. I never revealed to anyone back then that I managed to get to the emergency portkey in time, leaving everyone else burn alive in the manor." He paused and lowered his head, a sense of guilt suffocating him. "I decided to stage my death and use this to my advantage as I hunted them all down, one by one." Minoas clenched his teeth and squeezed the bottle in his hand before gulping down another mouthful.

"It's over now. That's why I decided to come back for a while and deal with some pending obligations." He glanced at her, not sure if all this was enough for her to understand.
"I was learning about you and I was happy that you and Dederick were good." He smiled. The reason why he hadn't told her was to protect her and her family. "How are you managing with three pups in the den?" He asked her about her family that had grown much since the last time they saw each other. He had met baby Willow who had must been now almost a woman. He also knew she had a boy at his first year at Hogwarts and a baby girl. Briar looked happy with her life and for that he had a reason to be happy too.

 

[Briar Rowan-Cullen]

Briar sighed as minoas said that the ministry needed people like them to make change. really she wasnt sure how much change she was making every time she started to do something she was pulled up with some red tape. some new way of stopping heloing the people and creatures she cared most about. She followed the man to the chairs and took a seat watching him disapear inside to get them drinks. she looked out over the bay and tried to get things back in line in her head. how was minoas alive. she was both so happy to see him but also annoyed at him. he had vanished without any way of letting her know. surly there would have been some way to let her know if he had been keeping that much crack of what she was up to then even some coded message. anything. she wondered what he had been up to. he seemed to be doing alright for himself it was a nice boat even she could tell that. dee said his boat was old and not any good . but she knew he loved it and would never sell it as long as it still floated.
as minoas returned she took the drink "thanks" she said. "don't worry about snacks. i find they always seem to finish too. I think between the two of us wolfing them down nothing lasts long" she said easily keeping a straight face at her pun.
as minoas said that he didn't want to put the last people he cared about in trouble she frowned. it would have been horrible for him to be alone having lost everyone and having to turn his back on his last family and face potential death. she had had to do it before a couple of times. once by choice once because she had nothing else. but both times she had been younger and there had been no threat of death, even if it had tracked her down without warning.
She watched her brother start to fidget and realised that she was making him relive things he may not want to. She stood up and put her arm around him. like she would have done if any of her children were having a bad day. "Hey Min. you are back home now" she said. even if he was now taller than her and had been since he was around fifteen she had always kept an eye out for him and the thought that he was hurting hurt her. "Oh merlin min. are you okay?" she said feeling herself going into mother mode.
as the conversation turned to her she was a little relieved not so much because she wanted to talk about herself, or that her life was overly interesting but if it stopped him "Well I am well. Dederick is well too there seems to be a lot of fish at the moment which is good for him. and Bjorn is missing Lindon now he is at school." she said talking not about her children but about the pet. "out of the children willow is in her sixth year and wanting to be an Auror. Linden is in his first year and enjoying being in Hufflepuff, and ivy has just started to crawl" she said smiling at the thought then she had a thought. "you probably don't know but you are going to be lin's godfather. but you died before I had the chance to ask you" she said.

 

[Minoas Stratis]

There was an undeniable power at Briar's simple, sisterly hug and he patted her back, grateful that she was still around. Minoas had completely and utterly killed his emotions after all those year, or he thought he had did so. He couldn't undo the past and he had done everything in his power to take revenge.
"I am good." He reassured her with a weak smile.
"I couldn't do anything to bring back my mother, my brothers, my relatives. All I could do was to make those who did this, to suffer worse." He had to clench his jaw to surpress a sudden surge of anger.
"And that you and your family are safe too." He concluded after a sip of butterbeer, hoping that she wouldn't hold him a grudge now that he had explained to her.

Talking about her family was just confirming his initial impression. His sister was very happy with her family and her life overall. He couldn't help but smile genuinely as she was talking about her children. Family was very important institution for the Stratis. No matter what, Sundays were dedicated on strengthening family bonds. Siblings and cousins were catching up over hearty meals, even challenging each other in friendly duels or chariot races with winged horses. Of course this was exactly how his whole family was exterminated. They were all gathered at one place and the assailants took advantage of it.

Dark thoughts were gathering again like storm clouds in his head but once again, Briar cast them away unknowingly. "Godfather?" He repeated surprised but he really liked the idea.
"What's exactly the godfather concept that you have in your?" He wondered curious what other people believed that the godfather concept was. In his culture, a godfather was the closest friend of the biological parents. It wasn't just a title. The godfather was baptizing the baby by submerging it carefully in water mixed with olive oil, a ceremony that would give blessings. At the same time, the baby was acquiring in that way its name that was declared beforehand by a seer. The last part was often bypassed if the parents wanted to give a specific name. Lindon already had a name obviously and he was too old for such kind of ceremony.
"Tell me more things about Lindon." He asked interested to know more about her son.
"And Willow. I remember her being so tiny. Does she make professor Kingsley's life... interesting?" He smirked.

 

[Briar Rowan-Cullen]

Briar felt some of the tension leave minoas' body as he hugged her back. she nodded as he said he was okay. "If you are sure." she said leaving it at that. but his next words said otherwise. she wasn't as good at reading people as her daughter was but even she could feel the anger and resentment coming off him. she looked him square in the eyes and there was something different there now. the curiosity and mischievous of his younger self was gone and in its place, there was an anger, some kind of wild animal inside him. it reminded her of the story of the man and the two wolves where the boy asked which one won the fight and the answer was the one that was fed. she had a feeling that her brother fo a long time had been feeding the dark wolf, the angry one, the one fueled off hatred. whereas she had put a lot of effort into feeding the other one both for herself and her husband. "there is nothing that will bring them back. min, but you still have a family here." she said. "I know we can't replace your mother and brothers but you have us" she said who was us. us was her. was it dee? was it the kids? was it Madlyn? she wasn't sure exactly. but did it matter right here and now. probably not.
he seemed to relax a bit as he spoke about dee and the kids. she knew full well that sometimes a little bit of normality was the best way to distract you. "well, to be honest, i am not sure Madlyn started it with chante. it is sort of someone who helps raise the child i guess like an aunt or uncle. but also someone to be therefore them if anything was to happen to the parents" she said. to be honest she had never had an aunt or uncle to compare it to. but the tribe had a different social structure where all of the foals were raised by everyone. but the parents had the primary responsibility. as he asked about linden she thought "well you seem to know a lot about my life. he is in Hufflepuff. he is a very gentle boy. he loves his animals. i can hardly separate him from the dog when he is home. and he brings in all sorts of injured birds and other animals to look after" she said. "Willow is in her sixth year and a lot less in trouble than either of us were, but has a really strong determination when she wants it. she is obviously on the quidditch team as a seeker. and wants to be an auror when she leaves school" she said.

 

[Minoas Stratis]

There were some things he had done the past ten years that Minoas wasn't proud of them at all. Revenge had blinded him in many occassions and felt like he was losing himself. He realized that his anger must have been taking over him again when he witnessed something in Briar's eyes that aknowledged a change in him. Maybe one of his biggest fears now was for the last person that was by his side, to find out that he had done terrible things. So terrible that were bringing nightmares and sleepless nights. He wanted to bury that part of him and find again the caring, full of life self. Listening to Briar talking about Lindon and Willow, surely brought a warm, comforting feeling in his chest.

"I was making sure you were alright from time to time." He admitted at her comment that he seemed to be updated about her life. Though he didn't know all the details she started sharing about her children. He liked the idea of becoming the godfather of her son, although he hadn't even met the boy yet.
"You know I can always be by yours and your children's side if you need me. I did exactly that all these years. You have no idea what these people could do if they were to find out that I cared about you. They could use you against me." He explained once more why he was absent for so long. There were a few instances when the people he was after had found about his connection with Briar and threatened to hurt her and her family in retribution but he made sure they couldn't fulfil their threats. He lowered his gaze when he also remembered that he knew something about her own past that he had considered to not disclose it to her. Especially now that her life seemed to be in harmony.

He regained his smile, focusing on the fact that she was there and he could make a new beginning.
"When the kids are back home for holidays, you should come with Dederick here for dinner." He invited the whole Cullen family. "The Sea Nymph will always be open for you to visit whenever you want. Even stay as I might be leaving for errands sometimes and I would like someone to check if everything is alright here." He said and had a good look of the sailboat's deck. The three-mast once belonged to a smuggler of dragon eggs that Minoas had caught on behalf of a man who had paid him to do so. After the job was done, Minoas decided to keep the vessel and refurbish it a bit, later deciding to set sail, leave Europe after everything was over and get back to New Zealand. His forehead wrinkled as he remembered one of the main obligations he had to settle. He looked at Briar, relieved that she might be able to stand by him.
"Actually, I wanted to ask you a favor. I'll need your help with something over this weekend if of course you have the time. I know you are busy with the baby and everything." He made an introduction, reluctantly, not sure how to ask this favor. It wasn't anything dangerous. He wouldn't drag her into a life-threatening situation while she had three children depending on her. It was just a bit embarassing for him and he wanted to know first if she could.

 

[Briar Rowan-Cullen]

briar sighed as her brother said that he was making sure that she was alright a little exasperated. did he think that she was unable to protect her family. she was an alpha. a chieftain's daughter. implying that she was unable to look after herself and her family was silly. but at least the last few days had taken her mind of the content of what was in her bod.
"min. you dont need to look after me. you of all people should know i can look after myself. and do you really think i would leave any of my family vulnerable" she said. and then realised what she said. that she had counted him as a brother and she had not been able to save him. "you didn't even think that maybe I would want to know if they are in danger? that you were alive and in danger." she said. sure she was a mother now with a steady job. but that didn't mean that she had forgotten her past. or that those parts of her personality were no longer there. she had been a Gryffindor and that was never going to change. part of her knew that she would have done the same if the situations were reversed.
at the invite of coming over for dinner, she smiled. she wasn't sure how much her husband would like the boat. it was a nice one. even her unskilled eyes could see that but she knew dees old fishing boat was his pride and joy and she wasn't sure if he would take it as minoas trying to one-up him. She lso knew that willow would love the boat but she was like her dad and loved being out in the open sea. "that would be nice. I am sure the kids would love it" he said.
At the mention of a favour she looked at him and raised one eyebrow as if if daring him to expand on the subject. fifteen years ago she would have done anything for her brother but now she had her children and would have to draw a line somewhere as much as she wanted to help him. she would not do anything that could hurt them without good reason. and by the sounds of it, the kind of jobs he did had the potential to get her caught up in a very sticky web. "What kind of favor do you want doing" she asked. wanting more details before committing to it

Out of Character:

sorry it has taken a while and that it isnt great. but at you have someotng

 

[Minoas Stratis]

Minoas sighed defeated and gazed towards the harbor's shops, the only think he could do to avoid his sister's lecturing. Briar hadn't realized that by just associating with him and his family, she and her family were automatically in danger. By chasing down so many dangerous people and supplying further this bloody vendetta, she and her family could have been used against him or harmed as retaliation. Minoas would have never returned back if he wasn't sure that no one remained that could hurt her. He wasn't exactly in the mood to elaborated further on this and he decided to let her finish before replying calmly.
"You don't have to look after me either. Believe me, there were many instances that I could be dead but here I am. Let's stick to that and gaze on the future." He said dismissively as if he didn't want to continue on this topic and took down a few sips of butterbeer.

The look that Briar gave him finally made his solemn expresion transform into the smirk that he was wearing often as a teenager, when he had a reckless idea in his head. But this time around, there were no reckless plans. Just adult obligations that he wished to avoid and that he had kept postponing for some time.
"Well..." He began saying but paused as he realized that he was about to show vulnerability.
"I have to go back to the Sanctuary." He got straight to the point, referring to his family's property.
"I promised to go back and claim it as its owner. There are some procedural actions and enchantments that must be done while being present." He explained further before pausing once, biting his lower lip as he was ready to ask her the favor.
"Could you please come with me? I don't want to this alone." He admitted and looked at her with hopeful eyes. Minoas never intended to go back there. Memories of that night that the fiendfyre took everyone he loved and consumed the house he was brought up, haunted him almost every night. He knew that being physically amongst the scorched ruins was going to be even tougher but having Briar with him, was going to give him strength.

 

[Briar Rowan-Cullen]

Briar nodded at Minoas' comment. "you aren't giving me much confidence in the fact that you don't need someone keeping an eye out for you." she said both teasing and chastising him in the same tone. but how about we agree we are adults who don't need protecting. but we should now at least try and keep each other in the loop. even if it is just to save them from thinking the other is dead for twelve years" she said still annoyed that he had found some way to get information on her wellbeing but had not used the same ingeniosity that he possessed to get some form of a message to her that he was alive.
She had to soften a bit at his request. it was something so simple it showed that he was not as tough as he made out to be. She had been to the sanctuary before. a few times. It had been protected by a lot of charms and spells but she had been allowed there before the fire and it seemed it still allowed her back. there had never been anyone there of course. except for one time not long after the family's death when there had been a young girl in tears who apparently had been dating one of the younger Stratis' "there is not much left there. the buildings are all rubble and overgrown. but of course, I can come" she said it was a simple task and it reminded her of the day years ago when she had gone into the forest with Madlyn to reclaim her dad's body. only she knew this time there would be no bodies not even ashes and dust. just rubble and memories.

 

[Minoas Stratis]

While his sister was talking, Minoas glanced over his shoulder at the back of the deck. A strange feeling of being watched crept through him but there was no one else around. Gull cries and chiming halyards were the only sounds resonating around them. Yet an instict flared inside him, the kind of instict that an animagus had acquired through rigorous training. He eventually turned back his attention at Briar who agreed to accompany him at the Sanctuary. He smiled relieved and was about to thank her when this time he was sure he had heard a subtle sound from behind them, a spark of alertness flashed in his eyes. He let his beer bottle down soundlessly and flourished his wand as he stood up. He looked at Briar with his index finger placed vertically in front of his lips, requesting her to remain silent. He was convinced that the two of them weren't alone on that deck.

He waved his wand without uttering an incantation. A brief flash of light surged on his grey irises and his pupils slightly dilated as he had cast a human-presence-revealing spell. His heart throbbed while his blood froze in his veins. He could now see a scarlet, auraed human figure within the solidity of a closet that was a few feet away from them. Instantly Minoas got in front of Briar defensively and pointed his wand at the closet in question. His swished and flicked his wand once more silently and the closet bounced slightly before both its shutter doors opened widely. Life jackets were belched out of it along with a stiff human body that belong to a boy that Minoas instantly recognized.

"Aras?" He questioned astonished and rushed towards the boy, lifting the full body-bind curse.
"What the hell are you doing here?" A strict tone in his voice as he realized that the boy was on board the Sea Nymph for the past weeks. That would finally explain why supplies were running low so quickly.

 

[Aras Ragauskas]

Ever since the Sea Nymph had set sail from UK, Aras was on board, secretly living in the large hold of the three-mast vessel. It was better than staying in that British institute of dull prudishness. He had felt a bit betrayed when Minoas decided for him how would be his life from now on and left him after all the adventures they had together. He had no intention to stay back so when an opportunity presented itself, he jumped ship. Literally.

It was easy for Aras to remain undetected when Minoas was spending hours every day at his room, over maps, notes and artefacts. At night, the boy could stay as much as he wanted at the deck under the stars with the smell of the sea, but he always made sure to get back to the hold before sunrise. Today was different however. He had taken those mouthwatering spinach bites that Minoas had baked and laid a blanket on the wooden floor of the deck. He wanted so badly to leave the vessel and go explore the harbor they had anchored at but he instead, wisely remained on board and watched the lights and the buildings from there while enjoying the savoury treats. He never realized when he fell into a deep, dreamless sleep until the gull cries abruptly awakened him.

Aras had no idea what time was but he acted quickly. He sprang up and folded the blanket, ready to go hide again down at the hold. The footsteps coming from Minoas' cabin changed his plans and he squeezed in the deck's closet where life jackets were kept. He could peer through the closet's door shutters and see Minoas walking past him, escaping detection just in time. Aras thought that Minoas was out to get some fresh air and then get back into his man cave but to his dismay, an acquaintence of him appeared and invited her on board. The two of them seemed to know each other pretty well and Aras figured out that was that Briar that Minoas had mentioned a few times while they were travelling.

He couldn't believe how unfortunate he was. The two adults settled down at the deck to catch up while he wanted desperately to use the bathroom. At the same time it was stifling inside the closet surrounded by life jeckets, the scent of mildew getting unbearable. Aras had no idea how much time had passed since the two of them sat at the hammock chairs and started talking. It felt like eons to him and while he wanted so badly to empty his bladder, he started figeting. The sudden silence from the adults made him realize that he might have made a sound that the seagulls' cries hadn't muffled. And then he witnessed through the closet's shutters what he feared the most. Minoas had figured out that someone was in the closet. The last thing he saw was Minoas pointing his wand towards him. Then everything happened too quickly.

His arms and legs snapped together, tightly against his body that became rigid. Aras lost his balance and along with the life jackets he fell off the closet, fortunately on a couple of life jackets that fell before him and not on the wooden floor. He heard his name and as soon as he lost control of his body, he regained it.
"What the f*ck Minoas! You cursed me!" He gasped as he stood up and stepped back from the man defensively.

Minoas Stratis was the only living person that he considered family. It was a stretch maybe to think of someone in that way when they knew each other for almost a year but thanks to this man, Aras was alive with a noticeable scar on his left eye to tell the story. He had lost everything at a night of a new moon, after an army of werewolf supremacists destroyed his village and slaughtered everyone, including his mother. If Minoas had never appeared at the village that night, he would have also been left to bleed to death. Aras liked the man a lot and enjoyed travelling with him across Europe. They had both lost their families under tragic circumstances and that made him bond with him even more.

Aras felt that he had some explanation to do. "Did you expect me to stay with those nuns you got rid of me? I thought we were partners!" He unleashed all that anger that unfairness had built up. Minoas had saved his life but he had also helped him a lot of times. He might wasn't allowed to use magic but his was swift and stealthy. "Look, it is a big ship. I have no one, you have no one. You saved me life and I owe you. I have your back like then when you got captured by the Manticore and his goons. I won't bother you at all. It will be like I am not even here. You had no idea I was hiding in the hold for weeks actually. Please, don't send me back to that sh!thole of an institute. Let's travel together like we did. I will help with chores, I can wash the dishes, oh and I can clean the deck twice a week." His rant went on as he tried to convince Minoas to keep him. He then turned his attention to the woman and smiled. "Hi, I am Aras." He introduced himself. hoping to get an ally in this negotiation.

 

[Briar Rowan-Cullen]

Briar heard a movement just before minors moved. she had found her hearing had gotten a little stronger ever since she was sixteen, it was one of the few benefits of being what she was. she watched as he stood in front of her getting up herself to stand beside him. "What were we just saying about being grownup and being able to look after ourselves" she said watching as he started to open a cupboard and a boy fell out. well, that was not what she was expecting. the boy was about the same age as lin.
she held back a smirk as the boy started to rant at minoas. "It seems like i am not the only one who has found a family. Hey Aras. i'm briar" she said. noticing the scar across his face overlapping one of his eyes. her hand absentmindedly went to her own face where four scars now faded to the point where they were only visible if you looked at them. "So you are the one who ate the savoury treats" she said glancing at minoas. how was he not suspicious that food was going missing. it was actually impressive that he had made it that long without being spotted. "where did you two meet. I bet it is quite the story" she said.[/B]

 

[Minoas Stratis]

Minoas lowered his face into his free hand as Aras went on, knowing pretty well that the boy was usually quiet but when he started talking, it was hard to stop him. He raised his head again to shot a glare at Aras when he cursed and the fact that he addressed Briar by introducing himself, he knew exactly that he was working his charm on her. Minoas chuckled when Briar connected straight away Aras with the missing treats.
"I swear he has ravaged my supplies. I was starting believing I was having a gnome infestation or something." He said as he had been noticing supplies decreasing suspiciously quickly.

Minoas was still letting sink in the fact that a twelve years old had smuggled in the Sea Nymph, remaining undetected for weeks. The vessel was quite big but it was also the boy's talent of sneaking silently and being stealthy. Or was it also that he had himself let his guard down too much after ending his unfinished business with the people that harmed his family?
Minoas was at a loss of what to do with the boy now. He had thought he had settled that matter by letting him with people that could take care of him. The weight of responsibility was set suddenly on his shoulders.
"Obviously, I wouldn't describe it as quite." He replied to Briar, implying that he had to put up with this ranting a few times since he met the boy. He sighed defeated but he realized that he was there on that deck, with two of his most favorite people.

"So Aras this is Briar, my sister I've been telling you about all the crazy stories from my school years. She had been saving my *ss from the get-go." He introduced first his sister to the boy.
"Briar this is Aras. He's quite charming, although I've noticed I've been considering really often to cast the silencing charm ever since I met him." He jested as Aras seemed to have calmed down a bit. Minoas thought it wasn't a good idea to refer to details about the night he first met the boy as he didn't want to bring back memories to him. "Let's say we got each other's back for some time." He winked at Aras, being actually happy to see the boy again as the memories of their travels returned. They had so much in common actually. They had both lost their loved ones, they were survivors and Aras was as reckless as he was at his age. He eyed Briar, the person he could trust with his life and the whole request slipped out of his mouth.

"As long as Briar can enlighten me about the paperwork and the procedural stuff that need to be done, I can be your guardian." He smiled, expecting a blast of excitement from the boy and maybe more ranting.
"Provided that," He interrupted quickly Aras' jubilation, "provided that, you'll stop swearing." His grey eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at the boy. He was too young for the mouth he had.
"And, you will attend a wizarding educational institute. Hogwarts for example. Briar's kids are already studying there and I think you are going to like it." He concluded, hoping that Aras won't raise objections on that.
"I will be staying here in New Zealand, there will be no travelling for some time." He added in a further attempt to convince Aras.
"That means that for the next few months there will be intense tutoring from me so that you will be ready for the next school year." He warned the boy that times of laziness and disorder were over. Minoas decided to give Aras another reason to agree with his terms, by tapping into the boy's love for Quidditch.
"You should also know that Hogwarts has big Quidditch pitch and a Quidditch cup tournament among its houses. If you don't believe me, Briar can tell you so. We played together at the same team, chasers." He nudged Briar, remembering all the training and matches they had together at Hogwarts' Quidditch pitch.

 

[Aras Ragauskas]

The woman mentioned something about finding family and Aras looked hopeful at Minoas, wondering if this is how he had mentioned him to her. He knew well that the two of them weren't biologically related but they shared a strong bond nonetheless. "Nice to meet you. Minoas had told me that you saved him from acromantulas once. He saved me from werewolves." Aras analogized the way he had met Minoas with the way Minoas had met with his sister. "That would be me." He admitted with a self-conscious smile when they both figured out that he was surviving on Minoas' supplies for weeks. He had tried to be a discreet as possible and he thought he had done a great job as he remained undetected for so long.

Now he had no idea what would happen. He had made it clear that he wasn't intending to go back to the institute he was left and that he preferred to continue travelling along with Minoas. He had made a plea, promising things that he wasn't sure if he could keep, like washing the dishes, but what he heard next from Minoas left him jaw-dropped. When he realized what Minoas had proposed he broke into wild celebrations that made gulls resting on the masts above scattered disturbed in the sky.

"Oh, c'mon! Buzzkiller!" He complained when apparently there were terms he had to follow. At first he wanted to talk back about the prospective of going to a boarding school. What he hated the most was to feel confined. However, when Minoas referred to Quidditch and the possibility to play for his future house, any objection he might had was nullified. That and the statement that he was going to stay at New Zealand as well. "Fine." Aras sighed. "But I need a new wand." He set his own term for the unavoidable tutoring he had to undergo. He wasn't looking forward to but it was far better than being sent back.

Aras hoped that Briar would help Minoas with the procedural part needed for his custody and then noticed that the woman's hand went to her face as she noticed his scar. The boy was used to people staring indiscreetly at his face due to the scar overlapping his even more bizzare milky eye, but Briar didn't make it feel uncomfortable. Aras' normal blue eye widened when he noticed that Briar had also, less visible scars on her face. "Were you attacked by werewolves as well?" He asked impulsively, realizing that the two of them had more in common than what he had thought.

 

[Briar Rowan-Cullen]

as the boy mentioned that minoas had saved him from werewolves she looked at her brother an unspoken question in her expression. is he a werewolf? she thought back. it was the new moon tomorrow. so if they had been at sea for any longer than two weeks minoas would likely have found him. even with the potion she knew it was hard to stay quiet. "how long has it taken my brother to find you?" she asked. phrasing the qurstion in a way that would encourage the boy to talk.
When minoas asked her how to go about adopting the boy she smiled an apologetic smile. "The only way i know how to get a guardian of a chald is to give birth to it" she said. I may work in the ministrty but not in the right department. unless there are magical creatures involved." she said. she might have some say if the boy had the same condition as her. but otherwise maybe the department of magical cooperation. she listened to the discussion of future plans and thought minoas's plan sounded good. hogwarts was a good school she had enjoyed it there and both willow and linden were enjoying it there. she wondered how old the boy was. she knew there was a werewolf in the school already who she was in contact with trying to help in his transition from normal to wolf. and by the sound of it the boy would be entering later than first year. maybe...
She saw the boy looking at her face and moved her hand so that the lines were a bit more clear. "I was. once but those scars werent from then" she said. they were caused by a werewolf but not from when she had been attacked. but instead from when she had missed her potion for a few months. thankfully the only person she had hurt was herself. the scars from when she had been attacked were on her foot partially hiden by a tattoo of a wolf that she had on her seventeenth birthday. it was almost strange to think she had been the same age as willow was now when she was bitten, when she had been outed to the school and when she had started dating dee. it seemed so young. she still wanted to protect her daughter from thw world but when she was the same age she was facing it and living in it.
"yes they have a quidditch tournament. where the houses play against each other. and the winning team plage against the winner of a different school. Beauxbatton or ilvermorny" she said, joining in on minoas's conversation as a way to change the topic from what may well be something sensitive. as far as that had been hapening it was the slytherin team that played. but this year Gryffindor had a chance if they won in their upcoming game against slytherin.

 

[Minoas Stratis]

Minoas realized that he might have been asking too much from Briar and he had already requested the favor of escorting him to the Sanctuary. He had all the connections he needed, people that owned him, that could certainly help him with Aras' custody. Minoas gave a flinch of self-consciousness when Briar joked about the only way someone could be a child's guardian but he recovered quickly when he realized that his sister had just shot a jest and not an innuendo. He realized that he had still a lot of things to get out of his chest but this wasn't the right time with Aras around.

As Aras and Briar started a conversation over their scars, it hit him that he had never told the boy that his sister was actually a werewolf. Minoas tried to communicate a warning sigh with his eyes as the two of them locked gazes but there was no way that would have been interpreted correctly by Briar and Aras was too smart to ignore further meaningful glances. "Aras I have an idea. Go take a shower and I will go get you new clothers and I can then tour you around the harbor's town. Missed a juicy hamburger with french fries?" He interrupted their conversation, before they were going to share more background information abput themselves.
"We shouldn't keep Briar longer while she came to see her husband. We will organize a dinner night so that you can meet also Willow and Lindon." He smiled in an attempt to sound less suspicious than what he might had. "Off you go smelly troll." He waved dissmissively for him to go downstairs.

As soon as Aras went downstairs and he was left alone with Briar on the deck, he took a relieved expression.
"He is not turned." He sighed, having interpreted the question in her earlier look she had shot him.
"His village was attacked during a new moon by a group of werewolf supremacists. He had lost so much blood, I was trying for hours to revive him. Fortunately, I had powdered silver and dittany with me and I tended his wounds." He explained in a low voice, checking at the same time the stairs that were leading downstairs in case Aras had lingered to eavesdrop. "I haven't tell him that you and Dederick are werewolves." He justified his own strange looks to her. "I hope you can understand, he hates werewolves. They killed his mother." He added apologetically, feeling that in some way he was betraying her for not talking openly about her lycanthropy.
"It would be better if we don't refer to that for now. You and him are my favorite people in life. I don't want him to dislike you." He concluded as they both walked towards the boarding platform. He summoned a pair of shoes that he wore on the go and his wallet, both zooming out of the cabin as he was indeed going to the harbor's shops to buy new clothes for Aras.

"Thanks again for agreeing to come with me to the Sanctuary. Are you free next weekend?" He asked her so they could set a date for it. He wasn't particularly in a hurry for this to be settled but he couldn't postpone it forever.

 

[Aras Ragauskas]

The fact that Briar stated that her scars weren't caused during a werewolf attack made Aras thoughtful and ready to ask another tactless question. Minoas however, came with an idea that made his stomach growl. Food and some time off this ship was all that he wanted. He would like to talk more with Briar but apparently she had other plans as well. "I'll go take a shower but I would also get chicken nuggets and ice-cream." He stated, suddenly also realizing that he desperately needed to use the bathroom as well.
"It was nice to meet you Briar. Bye." He said and rushed downstairs to the bathroom, looking forward to see something else apart from the ship's hold.